Nursery Room
Ages 3 and 4 (3 by October 15)
Children in the Nursery Room enjoy a space where they can experience the joy of creative exploration through group and individual play. Through this guided process, they are exposed to literature, math, science, art, music and cooking. Our Nursery Room maintains a maximum group size of sixteen children with three teachers. Children have the opportunity to explore topics of interest in depth. The children’s social skills bloom, as they learn about sharing, taking turns, and the value of cooperative play. They discover that they are part of a larger world, and that the rewards of friendship are plentiful.
Theresa Yudaken
Theresa moved to Maine with her husband and 4 children from South Africa 15 years ago. She graduated from the Cape Town Teachers Training College and has had many years of experience working with children. Since living in Maine she has taught pre-K , private Kindergarten and also volunteered as a Kindergarten and Art teacher at Bet Ha'am. She has been teaching in the nursery room and at the Levey Day School aftercare program since 2007. Theresa loves being part of the JCA community!
Matt Slipp
Matt is a Maine native and comes to the JCA after thirteen years of living all throughout the US and abroad. He has spent time in New York City, Boston, Denver, Atlanta, Berlin and most recently Michigan where he was the coordinator for student life at the Interlochen Academy of the Arts. Throughout his career as both educator and musician he has worked with a wide array of students, from being in the classroom to running his own music studio. In addition to joining the JCA team, Matt also runs his own private music studio in Gorham and Portland where he teaches piano and voice lessons. Having trained at the Juilliard School and obtaining his masters degree at Bard College in vocal performance, Matt continues to perform throughout the country. When not working he can be found on top of a mountain or in the kitchen preparing his next dinner party. He is thrilled to be with the Goldman Family Preschool and looks forward to fostering a place where young people can hone their expression and creativity.
Alexis Martinez
Alexis was born and raised in Queens, New York City where art and culture have always had an abundant presence in her life. She embraced her artistic mind and pursued a B.A. in Studio Art at the University of Vermont with a focus on environmental studies. Her passions for art, community, education and nature have brought her into the world of teaching. Alexis’s experiences as an art educator and early education teacher have helped her cultivate what she strives for in herself and the classroom- respect, empathy, knowledge, and wonder. She recently moved to Maine after teaching early education at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. She loves spending her time cooking, gardening, hiking, traveling, and learning new things.